Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-05-25
HE WAS ROPED IN.


York Evening Post, that the opera
tions of common swindler become
SO extensive. Or SO imprudent, or so
ludicrous that they call for philo-
sophical examination. Such, it ap-
pears to US, are the various games
played upon the venerable John [.
Blair, OF New Jersey, by one Samuel
G. Schaeffer, Of Kansas City, as re-
lated IN the BlairstoWn Press Of the
4th inst. Mr.. Blair Is q man of ma
tional repute, and is best known for
sort Of colossal grasp on facts relat-
ing to business, and for q rigid, almost
fanatical, adherence to business meth
DDS. Although we'll advanced in years,
he has lost none of his mental facul-
ties and but little of his physical en-
ergy. Not the least remarkable in
cident of his experience with
Schaeffer is that which brought
him and his affairs finally into the
newspapers. Mr.. Blair is not one of
those who cry over spilled milk or
who look for public sympathy when
they get "picked up" by rascal.
The way that his Kansas City adven-
ture got into print was through a tele
gram to the Associated Press from
independence, Mo-, stating that Mr..
Blair was under Indictment in Mis-
souri, for an assault with intent to
kill the man Schaeffer, whereas the
fact was that Schaeffer had been un-
der Indictment for conspiracy to kill
Blair, while Blair had not been under
any Indictment at all. 1t appears
that one Bailey, q witness in the legal
proceedings growing out Of the Blair
Schaeffer transactions, being insulted
by brother of Schaeffer, threatened
to shoot the latter, and was indicted
therefor. The name of Blair was sub
stituted for that of Bailey in the tele-
gram, but whether by mistake or by
design is not quite clear. Thus it
came to be published far and wide
that Hon. John |. Blair was under IN
dictment in Missouri for assault with
intent to kill.
The explanation Of this error leads
the Blairstown Press to narrate the
antecedent facts which make up this
Kansas City romance. 1t appears
that Mr.. Blair visited Kansas City for
the first time in his life in February in
1884. There he met Schaeffer, who
vas OOILS CAUCASAfC OOSAACC0 CoO CU
land agent. He represented to Mr..
Blair that he had great wealth, and
among other assets a claim against
Charles Francis Adams for $4,000,
and another against Lieut.. Gov.
Dorsheimer for 100000, besides an
interest worth 100000 in Hooking
Valley coal-mines, and that he owned
10000 acres Of coal and iron land in
Alabama. He persuaded Mr.. Blair to
invest $1O7 900 in farm lands in the
neighborhood Of Kansas City. After
| the land had been bought and paid
| for Schaeffer discovered a cloud on the
title OF one Of the tracts, and advised
Mr.. Blair to pay a trifle In order to
buy off the adverse claimants. This
was state of things SO opposed to
ali Of Mr., Blair's conceptions Of bust
ness that he would not have accepted
| the advice If his engagements had a.
| lowed him to remain at Kansas City
and investigate the facts for himself.
In the course OF time draft from
| Schaeffer on Blair came around for
$8,45O to buy off the adverse claim
ants. This draft was paid by Mr..
Blair, with some misgivings, at the
HarK 06nK, NEW 4OrK.
The next time Blair went to Kansas
City he learned incidentally that
Schaeffer had paid the claimants only
| $500 each, whereas his draft on Blair
and his letter of explanation called for
g. payment OF ST. 800 to each of five
persons. simultaneously with this
discovery he learned that Schaeffer
| had paid SO, 900 less for the original
purchase than Mr.. Blair had paid.
One of the land purchases was made
from a Cuban named Cardenas, resi-
dent OF New York. 1t turned out that
Cardenas and Schaeffer were the same
person.
Mr.. Blair forthwith caused Schaeffer
to be indicted at Kansas City for four
different frauds. The first one tried
was that of swindling by means of the
clOuded title. The jury found Schaef-
fer guilty and sentenced him to eight
years in the state prison. An appeal
was taken and the sentence reversed
on the queer ground that the fraud
was committed in New York, the place
where the draft was paid, and was,
therefore, not indictable in Missouri.
The other indictments against Schaef-
fer have not yet been tried, but he has
been released from imprisonment.
The next chapter in the romance is
the alleged conspiracy to assassinate
Mr.. Blair, for which Schaeffer was also
indicted. The evidence upon this
point it is unnecessary to give in
detail. One of the witnesses got out
of the country, and another got into
prison in California before the trial
came on, and the Indictment against
Schaeffer was dismissed on the 10th
of April last, with the old sequel of
advertising Mr.. Blair all over the
country as being under Indictment for
assault with intent to kill Schaeffer.
The moral of all this would seem to
be: Never do business IN q hasty
way with strangers.